Orange Baseball

It’s been eight years since an Orange pitcher won 20 games in his career. On Tuesday night, senior Cross Clayton became the first Panther hurler to do it since Bryse Wilson. Clayton made it an outing to remember, throwing a 5-inning no hitter as the Panthers defeated Eastern Alamance 11-0 at Panther Field in its final regular season home game of the season. Clayton allowed just one baserunner to get onboard, off an error in the fourth inning. Up to that point, Clayton had retired the first eleven batters he faced. Clayton is the first pitcher from Hillsborough to earn 20 wins since Phillip Berger won 21 games for Cedar Ridge from 2016-2019. The victory over Eastern Alamance was Clayton’s second career no-hitter. In 2022, he threw a five-inning perfect game against Cedar Ridge, which clinched the regular season Central Conference championship. Clayton is now 14-1 lifetime against conference opponents. He needed just 49 pitches to finish five innings against the Eagles. Ryan Honeycutt hit a grand slam for the Panthers to complete a 10-run third inning. Clayton struck out six against the Eagles in his second career win against the Eagles. Orange will finish the regular season with a road trip to Mebane to face the Eagles on Friday night. With a win, they will clinch a share of the regular season championship. 

Orange senior Cross Clayton discuses 20th career win

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On March 1, 2022, Cross Clayton was one of several Orange baseball hopefuls trying to prove themselves as life returned to normal after the pandemic.

On a chilly, blustery day in Hillsborough, he entered a game against Northern Durham and threw a scoreless sixth inning to keep Orange’s deficit at 1-0. It would turn into Clayton’s first win when David Waitt stroked a two-run single to cap a three-run sixth.

Three years later, Clayton has become the winningest pitcher in Orange baseball since Bryse Wilson, who is now in his sixth Major League season with the Milwaukee Brewers.

On Tuesday night, Clayton earned his 20th career victory as Orange easily defeated Eastern Alamance 11-0 in five innings. In his final regular season start at Panther Field, Clayton threw a five-inning no-hitter. The only Eagle to reach, Jarrett Newell, got aboard off an error at second base with two out in the fourth inning after Clayton had retired the first eleven batters he faced.

Clayton ended the night with six strikeouts and no walks. He retired 15 out of the 16 batters he faced on only 49 pitches, 38 of which were strikes.

Clayton is just the third pitcher from Hillsborough in the last decade to win 20 career games. Cedar Ridge’s Phillip Berger won 21 from 2016-2019. He went on to pitch at Division III William Peace University. Wilson holds the Orange record with 33 career victories–and that came after he threw only three games his sophomore year because of an injured shoulder.

The Panthers (16-5, 8-3 in the Central Conference) remained tied for first in the loss column with Southern Alamance for first place in the Central Conference. Orange will travel to Eastern Alamance for its regular season finale on Friday night. With a win, Orange will take a share of the conference championship, which would be its fourth straight league title.

Southern Alamance’s game against Western Alamance was postponed on Tuesday night because a power line was cut hours before the first pitch in Graham. The game was rescheduled for Wednesday night at 5.

“He’s one of the best arms that I’ve had the pleasure and honor of coaching in my 24 years,” said Orange coach Jason Knapp. “That says a lot because I’ve been around some really good pitchers. He pounds the zone. He was a bad hop away from a perfect game.”

Orange was going against one of the hottest pitchers in the Central Conference in Eastern’s Jarrett Newell, who had allowed only five runs in his previous three starts. Orange’s Cameron Guentensberger sent a fly ball over the head of right fielder James Wellons in the first inning. The very next pitch to Kayden Bradsher was stroked into right field for an RBI single, which was all the run support that Clayton needed.

Turns out, he got more. Much more.

Guentensberger started a 10-run third inning by reaching on an error at third base. Bradsher laid down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw went to second base where Guentensberger beat out the throw. Orange loaded the bases when Ryan Honeycutt walked. Oliver Van Tiem drove in a run off a walk. Wyatt Hedrick dropped a bloop single into centerfield to score Bradsher. Designated hitter Garrett Sawyer lined a two-run single to left field to increase the Orange lead to 6-0. Hedrick would score off a wild pitch. With Guentensberger, Dominic O’Keefe and Elijah Santos on base, Honeycutt delivered his first career grand slam over the centerfield fence. Honeycutt now has four home runs, which leads the team. It was his first career grand slam.

After Van Tiem retired Merchel for the game’s final out, Clayton was presented with a poster created by Orange’s Baseball booster to commemorate is 20th career win.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior catcher Ryan Horton. This season, Horton is tied for the team lead for home runs. On March 26, Horton hit two home runs as Orange defeated Northern Guilford 8-4. He became the first Orange player to hit two home runs in a game since Dante DeFranco did it against Northern Durham in 2019. Against Western Alamance on March 25, Horton went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, including a two-run double in the sixth inning that paved the way for Orange’s first conference win. Horton had a two-run double against Cedar Ridge in a 10-4 win at Red Wolves Field. This season, Horton is hitting .359 and leads the team with 17 RBIs. He has been Orange’s starting catcher the past two years and provided valuable experience on offense after the Panthers lost six starters from last year. Horton had an RBI single against Southern Alamance on Friday night, which put the Panthers back in a tie for first place in the Central Conference. Last week, Horton went 3-for-4 on senior night as the Panthers defeated Voyager Academy. Against Person on April 27, Horton went 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the first inning. After he graduates from Orange next month, Horton will attend Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.

Orange Panther of the Week: Ryan Horton

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The Orange baseball team has gained a split in its biggest two-game series of the season. On Friday night, the Panthers defeated Southern Alamance 10-6 in Hillsborough to tie the Patriots for first place in the Central Conference. Cameron Guentensberger had a huge night on three different levels. He went 2-for-3 with two doubles, driving in two runs during a six-run 3rd inning. Senior right fielder Elijah Santos grounded a two-run single up the middle in the third. Santos also had a hand in scoring the game’s opening run when he reached on a throwing error at third base, which scored Wyatt Hedrick. Guentensberger came on in the sixth inning to replace Garrett Sawyer on the mound and made the defensive play of the game. After the Patriots battled back from a 7-1 deficit to get the tying run on second base, Guentensberger took a short grounder hit by Noah Madren and flipped it to the plate to catcher Ryan Horton, retiring Carson Bolton on a force out. Guentensberger finished with his third save in four games. The Panthers need two more wins to secure a share of its fourth consecutive conference championship. They will face Eastern Alamance in the Panthers final regular season home game on Tuesday night at 7. They will travel to Mebane on Thursday.

Orange baseball’s Cameron Guentensberger & Elijah Santos discuss win over Southern Alamance

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The Orange baseball team will end this week the same way they started it.

In a tie for first place in the Central Conference. And they have their versatile centerfielder/leadoff man/bullpen closer to thank for it.

Cameron Guentensberger earned his third save in four games and laced two doubles, both of which led to crooked number innings that overwhelmed Southern Alamance in a 10-6  Orange victory at Panther Field on Friday night. The Panthers tied the Patriots for first place in the Central with two games remaining in the regular season.

Orange (15-5, 7-3 in the Central) needs to sweep a two-game series against Eastern Alamance next week in order to gain a share of its fourth straight conference championship.

Josiah Gibbs earned his 16th career win and improved to 6-0 on the season, receiving plenty of help from his batters as the Panthers jumped out to a 7-1 lead at the end of the third inning.

If you thought the Panthers would cruise to victory from there, then you don’t know Southern Alamance baseball. The Patriots engaged in a furious rally where they scored four unanswered runs, deepening the jubilation of the sizeable Southern Alamance contingent who filled the visitors grandstand for its first conference game at Orange in decades.

With the Patriots playing for a conference championship, tensions reached a fever pitch after Cooper Partin slammed a double off the left field fence to score Janden Evans and cut Orange’s lead to 7-5 in the top of the sixth. After reliever Garrett Sawyer walked Ethan Mann to load the bases, putting the tying run at second, Orange coach Jason Knapp called in Guentensberger from centerfield for a four-out save. Southern’s Noah Madren laid down a cue shot 20 feet from the plate, Guentensberger bolted from the mound, gloved the ball and softly underhanded it to catcher Ryan Horton, getting the force out as courtesy runner Carson Bolton slid into home plate a second late, resulting in a cacophony of cheers and boos from opposite side of the stands.

Immediately after making the defensive play of the game, Guentensberger led off the sixth inning with a double that slammed off the bottom of the left field wall. A line drive by Kayden Bradsher landed safely in left field for a hit, moving Guentensberger to third. Ryan Horton added a crucial insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right field. captured by Madren, but deep enough to plate Guentensberger. Freshman Oliver Van Tiem brought in Bradsher with a screamer to centerfield. After Wyatt Hedrick was hit on the foot by a pitch from reliver Eli Gilley, Sawyer lined another RBI single up the middle to increase the Panther lead to 10-5, scoring Van Tiem.

Southern wasn’t done keeping Orange fans worried, loading the bases in the seventh inning with no outs. Mark King got his first base hit of the series with a single to right field. Designated hitter Braxton Cain spaced an infield single to the left of the infield, then Bradley Capps walked. Guentensberger struck out Johnny Rojas. Evans sent a high liner to right field, where Elijah Santos made a jumping grab that was deep enough to score King. Eli Holland, who had reached in six of seven plate appearances in the two-game series, flew out to Sawyer, who had moved to centerfield to the game. It was the first time that Holland had been retired all night.

Knapp, who has known Patriots coach Jason Smith for 19 years, understood that a 7-1 lead with a conference championship on the line wasn’t safe.

“We’ve had many, many battles,” Knapp said. “The one thing I know about Southern Alamance is they do not quit. When we got up like we did, I told the guys “You’re going to have to finish this game. You’re going to have to continue to find runs.’ Great game. I feel fortunate to come out on top.”

Unlike Tuesday’s loss in Graham, Orange hit the ball against the Patriots on Friday. On Tuesday, the Panthers were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. On Friday, they were 7-for-17.

Orange senior Wyatt Hedrick grounded a single up the middle to lead off the second. After stealing second, Santos sent a nubber to third base, which was thrown away by Evans. Hedrick rushed around third to score the opening run.

The Patriots immediately tied things up when Capps reached on an infield single, then moved to second after a sacrifice bunt by Johnny Rojas. Evans sent a grounder that rolled into left field, plating Capps. Holland singled to left to move Evans to second with one out, but Gibbs struck out Partin and Mann to end the inning.

The Panthers’ offensive runneth over in the third inning, scoring six runs against Patriots starter Cayden Barnard. Ryan Honeycutt opened with a walk, while Horton lined a single to left field. With one out, Hedrick loaded the bases with an opposite field base hit. Sawyer scored Honeycutt with a bases-loaded walk. After Cross Clayton struck out, Santos banged a single over second base to score Hedrick and Henry Hoffman, who was running for Horton. That led to Guentensberger’s first double, a liner to Scoreboard Alley in right centerfield, the deepest part of Orange’s park that scored Sawyer and Santos to put the Panthers ahead 6-1. Bradsher skied a perfectly placed opposite field floater down the right field line for a double, bringing in Guentensberger.

Orange will host Eastern Alamance in its final regular season home game on Tuesday. The return trip to Mebane is slated for Thursday.

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GRAHAM–There’s a difference between hitting and timely hitting.

On Tuesday night, that was the difference between Orange and Southern Alamance. And, hence, it’s the difference in the race for the Central Conference baseball championship right now.

Each team had five hits. The Panthers largely hit for singles. The Patriots hit for power, albeit from unlikely sources.

Southern’s Janden Evans hit the very first pitch delivered by Cross Clayton over the left field fence, aided somewhat by a southwest wind, to put the Patriots ahead in the opening inning. It was Evans first home run of the season.

Southern would go on to beat Orange 3-1 at the Carroll Shoffner Baseball Complex. The Patriots now lead Orange by one game for first place in the Central Conference at 7-2. The Panthers will host the second game of the two-game series in Hillsborough on Friday. With only three league games remaining, it is likely Orange’s last hope to gain a share of the conference title.

The Panthers had plenty of opportunities on Tuesday. The Patriots committed five errors, but the Panthers didn’t make them hurt. Orange’s leadoff batter, Cameron Guentensberger, lined a single to centerfield and advanced to second when the ball was bobbled by Bradley Capps. Southern starter Braxton Cain struck out Kayden Bradsher and Ryan Honeycutt. With two out, Ryan Horton grounded a ball to shortstop to Mark King, whose throw to first baseman Cooper Partin was low. After Horton legged it out, Guentensberger attempted to score from first, but Partin immediately threw to catcher Eli Holland, who tagged out the centerfielder at the plate to close out the inning.

Clayton suffered his first-ever loss to a conference opponent, ironically in one of his best career outings. Of his 72 pitchers, he threw 58 strikes with nine strikeouts. Of the 26 batters he faced, Clayton threw a first-pitch strike to 24 of them. Clayton was going for his 20th career win, the first Orange pitcher to reach that plateau since Bryse Wilson in 2016.

After Evans stomped his foot on home plate to complete his first dinger, Holland sent a hopper that popped off third base into the left field corner for a double. It was the first in a series of failed scoring opportunities by both teams. Holland moved to third after Partin grounded out to Wyatt Hedrick for the first out. Clayton ended the inning striking out Ethan Mann and Noah Madren.

Orange designated hitter Garrett Sawyer was hit by a pitch in the second inning, then raced over to second when Cain’s pickup throw got away from Partin. King caught a soft liner by Clayton to end the frame.

Ryan Honeycutt opened the fourth with a cue shot down the third base line that Evans threw away, sending the senior to second. That’s as far as Honeycutt would go after Horton, Oliver Van Tiem and Wyatt Hedrick were retired in order.

In the sixth, Southern senior Bradley Capps sent a 1-1 fastball over the left field fence, a wall scraper that went out the most shallow part of the park. It was Capps’ first home run of the year, his seventh RBI.

With one out, Evans doubled to the right field gap. After Holland flew out to Elijah Santos in right, Evans moved over to third. Mann lined a single to centerfield to bring in Capps and make it 3-0 Patriots.

Orange’s only run came when Horton sent a diving liner to centerfield. Capps dove for the ball but missed and it rolled all the way to the fence. Horton wound up with a triple. Dominic O’Keefe replaced him as a courtesy runner. With Van Tiem at bat, Cain uncorked a wild pitch to the spacious backstop. O’Keefe scored off the wild pitch.

Cain surpassed 105 pitches when Garrett Sawyer rode out a ten-pitch at-bat that ended with a fly out to Mann in left field. Eli Gilley replaced Cain and earned the save by striking out Clayton and Santos.

ROXBORO–Enduring a strike zone that gradually shrunk to the size of a Dixie Cup and a Person team that wouldn’t say quit, the Orange baseball team emerged from Roxboro exactly where they want to be.

Tied for first in the Central Conference with a showdown two-game series against Southern Alamance that will almost certainly determine the league champion looming this week.

On Friday night, Orange played bread-and-butter baseball to sweep its two-game series against Person. Leadoff batters got on base, put themselves in scoring position and an experienced power hitter knocked them in.

It led to the Panthers charging out to a 5-0 lead, scoring in each of the first four innings and holding on as Cameron Guentensberger came in from centerfield to earn his second save in as many games to send the Panthers back up Highway 57 with a 7-4 win at Rockets Field.

Orange (14-4, 6-2) is now tied with Southern Alamance for first place in the conference. The Panthers will travel to Graham to face the Patriots on Tuesday night. The series will culminate in Hillsborough on Friday.

The Rockets had the Panthers somewhat concerned in the seventh. Trailing 7-2, Person brought across two runs against reliever Garrett Sawyer off of four walks, a hit batter, a balk and a wild pitch. With Ethan Norris at first base representing the tying run off a walk by Guentensberger, Jackson Riggan stepped up with a chance to pull off an improbable comeback. But Guentensberger set down Riggan on strikes to earn his second save in as many games. Guentensberger threw a scoreless seventh in a nonconference win over Voyager Academy in Hillsborough on Wednesday.

Josiah Gibbs threw five innings to improve to 5-0 on the season. Gibbs, who has 15 career wins, struck out six and allowed only two runs off five hits.

Guentensberger, whose versatility has led to him becoming Orange’s leadoff batter, opened with a walk against Person starter Ian Downey, then stole second base. Ryan Honeycutt, who has 14 RBIs in 12 games, stepped up and drilled a line driven to left centerfield, scoring Guentensberger easily.

Orange freshman Oliver Van Tiem lined a single to left field to open the second inning. With two out, Cross Clayton lined a 0-2 curve ball to left field, where Person’s Dylan England struggled to get the ball back to the infield. Van Tiem took advantage and crossed home plate to make it 2-0.

Gibbs didn’t allow a base hit in the opening three innings. The only mild Person threat in the first half of the game came when Carter Hodgin was hit by a pitch and Norris drew a walk in the second. Riggan flew out to Guentensberger in centerfield to end the inning.

Guentensberger stroked a leadoff single up the middle to start the third. After Kayden Bradsher laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Guentensberger to second, Honeycutt lined another RBI single to England. Guentensberger wound up with his second run of the game.

Orange pushed its lead to 5-0 in the fourth when Van Tiem drew a leadoff walk. Wyatt Hedrick followed with a first-pitch liner that dropped in for a single. Clayton lined a 3-2 fastball into right field, which was bobbled by Tyler Blackwell. Van Tiem scored off the hit and Hedrick came in off the error.

Jackson Riggan lined a fastball that nearly kicked up chalk along the right field line to open the fifth against Gibbs. After Gibbs induced a groundout by Brennen Kiser to move Riggan to second, Keegan Holmes struck out. Camden Shaw singled in Riggan with a base hit to centerfield. Third baseman Nick Young dropped in a fly ball in the outfield. England lined an RBI single in front of Guentensberger to score Shaw and cut the Orange lead to 5-2.

The Panthers took advantage of some Person miscues to regain it’s five-run lead. Van Tiem opened with an infield single to Holmes, the shortstop. Hedrick walked. Sawyer laid down a sacrifice bunt to the left of the mound. Kiser, who replaced Downey as pitcher, attempted to throw out Van Tiem but the ball went past Young at third base. Van Tiem scored. Following a walk by Cross Clayton to load the bases, Elijah Santos walked to bring in Hedrick.

Orange has beaten Person in six straight regular season meetings. The Rockets only victory over the Panthers in the past three years came in the 2022 Central Conference Tournament semifinals in Hillsborough. It was the second straight year that Gibbs beat the Rockets in Roxboro.